What is "Tenite"?

[Jim Stettler]

As an exception you can find soft plastic 302's in black and colors. The colors don't match the "official" colors.
JIm

What meanest thou by that? What are the "official" colors made of?

It escapes me now. Someone will post the answer.


The official "transparent" is Lucite I beleive,
I think there was a soft "transparent" as well. It yellows but the lucite ones don't.

The un-official colors of the soft 302's  Probably came in the same colors as other soft plastic phones. You can also find soft plastic princesses.

Don't you love the exceptions,
Jim

[m1898]

To confuse things more, I have a black WE 500 C/D made 5-55. It has a case made in 1963 with black hookswitch plungers.

[kleenax]

Any of you ever see this ad from (I think) Saturday Evening Post around 1930 or so? I have the original ad around here somewhere (waiting to be matted & framed for the last 15 or 20 yrs!).

[Jim Stettler]

Nice SC ad.
I have the Ivory, Pekin red, and orchid. Clear models were available for the salesmen.
Jim S.

[kleenax]

Jim S.; here are the ones that you don't have! :

Pics of 3 that I have right now (yes, they are all for sale). Unfortunately, none have handsets.

It should be noted of course that the mottled brown is surely bakelite.  The 3rd one is the "Peach" color in the ad previously posted; didn't show up too well in my photo; sorry.

[Jim Stettler]

Jim S.; here are the ones that you don't have! :

Pics of 3 that I have right now (yes, they are all for sale). Unfortunately, none have handsets.

It should be noted of course that the mottled brown is surely bakelite.  The 3rd one is the "Peach" color in the ad previously posted; didn't show up too well in my photo; sorry.

I have a clear 1197  w/handset. The handset is damaged.
The other 2 sets are cool.
Jim S.

[Doug Rose]

Ray....where are they for sale? Didn't see them on your eBay site? They are quite cool....Doug

[kleenax]

Ray....where are they for sale? Didn't see them on your eBay site? They are quite cool....Doug

Hey Doug;
they are here, in my garage. Another collector gave them to me with the possibility that I would cast some handsets for them, but I haven't gotten to that project yet (and may never). Anyway, I think that they would still look cool with a black handset on them.

[Dan/Panther]

With telephones there are always exceptions.
While we were researching D/P's 1948 500. It was found that the early mock-ups had clear plungers. I think D/P ended up going clear on his. The 1949 set made it appear that the earliest 500's probably had clear plungers.It appears that the earliest of sets used clear plungers.(I think they may of been flat top?)

JMHO,
Jim

Tenite was used extensively through the 30 and up to 50's and maybe later in Radios, Toys, anywhere a plastic material was needed. In the radio hobby, MANY radios are sitting unrestored, because of severely distorted tenite Escutcheons.
You find a very similar situation with vintage items finished in Nitrocellulose Lacquer. It shrinks and cracks. However on guitars collectors seem to love the surface cracking, it adds character. I personally hate the look.

Yes Jim is correct I used flat top CLEAR plungers. One photo of the 500 prototype we found appeared to have flat top clear plungers.
No I don't have a good memory, I had to look.

And yes, be careful with the clear plunger solid plunger, they are very easy to change out.

D/P

[rdelius]

Tenite worked well on Xcelite screwdriver and nut driver handles Klein sold Tenite grips for linemans pliers.My Grandfather worked for Tenness ee Eastman in Kingsport TN. Remember a Tenite bugle that sat around the house. There were some Tenite toy looking coins made as possibly wartime ways to save metal for the was effort.

[monophone_lover]

What meanest thou by that? What are the "official" colors made of?

It escapes me now. Someone will post the answer.


The official "transparent" is Lucite I beleive,
I think there was a soft "transparent" as well. It yellows but the lucite ones don't.

The un-official colors of the soft 302's  Probably came in the same colors as other soft plastic phones. You can also find soft plastic princesses.

Don't you love the exceptions,
Jim

Correct I have a special Red 302 it si same color as latter Princess phones I Post photo

[monophone_lover]

The Red

There was Post before ON color

[monophone_lover]

This phone is worthy OF comment I bought it in The idea of converting it to manual when I got it I was shocked it had a painted bakelight handset and I think hard plastic with clear plungers.... I bought it off Ebay..  from lady who said she got it at good will.... when I checked to see if the shell was painted as it felt like harder plastic when I unscrewed base.... I found that someone else.. had also checked as they made scratch marks just as I did on inside see photos

[kleenax]

This phone is worthy OF comment I bought it in The idea of converting it to manual when I got it I was shocked it had a painted bakelight handset and I think hard plastic with clear plungers.... I bought it off Ebay..  from lady who said she got it at good will.... when I checked to see if the shell was painted as it felt like harder plastic when I unscrewed base.... I found that someone else.. had also checked as they made scratch marks just as I did on inside see photos

THAT is a very cool find sir!  You mean that the handset is painted then? Let me ask you; does the handset have grooves along the sides or is it smooth? Fine-thread caps or coarse? What I am getting at is whether it is "factory" in that color? WE used the brown-bakelite handsets to paint for some special sets.

[Doug Rose]

This is a soft plastic set the same color as a 55 500 set. Handset is painted. I had a Green and an Ivory Soft plastic, but they were identical to the thermoplastic model. Rumors of a Blue, but I have never seen one. My opinion, this is the rarest of all 302s, including the Blue.

Dennis also has a great example of the beauty. Sorry, really old pictures.....Doug